Emoticons
Casually post one of these in a text or chat and impress your friends!
Ozma/Tip: ✿¬‿¬✿
Jack: O﹏O
Logan: (ಠ (—)
Ozma's crown: ✿=Ⓩ=✿
Map of Oz
Here's a rough map roughly canon to Yellow Brick Ramble!
East & West are reversed because the planet of Nonestica, where Oz is located, rotates in the opposite direction of Earth. Based on the original maps in the books that also had the directions reversed. It's not super slick as I mainly made it to use as reference when writing the script. I plan to draw a fun cartoonier version of this map later.
As this isn't a final map, some of the stuff on it isn't set in stone!
(based off maps from the books with adjustments & references to related maps)
Supplemental Reading/Viewing
Read the original books for free on Project Gutenberg with the original illustrations.
Read the first ever stage adaptation of Oz courtesy of the New York Public Library. It's very different from the book, featuring made-for-stage characters such as King Pastoria, Tryxie Tryfle, Cynthia Cynth, and Sir Dashemoff Daily! And who could forget Dorothy's famous faithful animal companion from Kansas: Imogen the cow?
Some entertaining essays on the Oz books by Mari Ness. Mari's observations on Ozma's failures helped shape my interpretation of her personality in my comics.
This is one of the more fun Oz graphic novels that I've run into over the years! It's about a boy named Frank Fizzle who's fed up with his father's obsession with L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Unfortunately for Frank, the obsession intensifies when his dad finds out that Oz really exists. I borrowed some elements of Andy Hirsch's Patchwork Girl design for my Scarecrow design.
It's sadly out of print, but look for a used copy or request it at the library.
It's sadly out of print, but look for a used copy or request it at the library.
Adventures in Oz by Eric Shanower
most recent collection -> ISBN-13: 9781933239613
most recent collection -> ISBN-13: 9781933239613
Good original Oz stories! Eric Shanower is a good artist! He's a good writer! He's good!
You should check out his prose work and non-Oz comics too. You can buy them from Hungry Tiger Press!
Oz adapted to comics by Eric Shanower & Skottie Young
Published by MARVEL, so this is ridiculously easy to find.
Published by MARVEL, so this is ridiculously easy to find.
Not much to say other than this is easily the best direct adaptation of the novels. Also the most complete, covering books 1-6.
"Ozma Sees Herself" by Edward Einhorn illustrated by Eric Shanower short story
found in Oz Story Magazine #3
found in Oz Story Magazine #3
This takes place in between Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. A newly transformed reluctant princess Ozma runs away from home and sees her reflection for the first time. Honestly a pretty good depiction of gender euphoria!
This short story is admittedly a little obscure and hard to get a hold of, but Edward Einhorn wrote some very good original Oz books which are much easier to get a hold of including Paradox in Oz, which stars Ozma.
This short story is admittedly a little obscure and hard to get a hold of, but Edward Einhorn wrote some very good original Oz books which are much easier to get a hold of including Paradox in Oz, which stars Ozma.
Ozu no Mahōtsukai tv series
You're not going to find a better animated adaption of Oz than this anime. It follows the first two books pretty closely and reimagines the third and sixth book in a spiritually faithful way. The dub butchers some of the episodes pretty badly, so I'd seek out the sub if I were you.
I took some influence from this series for my character designs of the Scarecrow, Jack, Logan, & Mombi.
I took some influence from this series for my character designs of the Scarecrow, Jack, Logan, & Mombi.
Return to Oz (1985)
This was my favorite Oz movie and Faruza Balk is my favorite live action portrayal of Dorothy! This film was panned by critics for being "too dark," and while I can't say that it doesn't get dark in places, I overall find it very sweet, whimsical, and kid appropriate. I suspect most of critics at the time simply wanted a sequel to the 1939 musical and couldn't appreciate it as a love letter to the books and John R. Neill's art. Return to Oz strongly influenced my portrayals of Jack & Aunt Em and is the reason I put faces on some of the rocks.
The Wiz Live (2015)
I absolutely adore this made-for-tv production! The costumes are superb, the characters are relatable, the music is fantastic. Shanice Williams is a very good Dorothy and I love the take on the Cowardly Lion.
Something I love about The Wiz is that it's the most book-accurate adaptation of The Wizard of Oz on the stage, yet every stage production is different!
Available on various streaming services.
Something I love about The Wiz is that it's the most book-accurate adaptation of The Wizard of Oz on the stage, yet every stage production is different!
Available on various streaming services.
Fantastic Journey to Oz (2017)
Technically this Russian animated film is based on Volkov's Magic Land novel, Urfin Jus and his Wooden Soldiers, localized as an Oz movie for American audiences. Magic Land is a series of unauthorized sequels to the Oz books from the 60s, having a different canon from the original series. The dub is pretty well done and all the characters feel very Ozzy. Also, it has a talking Toto, which I'm always down for!
Guardians of Oz (2015)
This Mexican-Indian feature, also released as "Wicked Flying Monkeys", was produced and co-written by Jorge R. Gutiérrez, who you might know from Book of Life and Maya and the Three. The fun visual design and character animation more than makes up for the low budget. This film obviously takes more influence from the MGM film than the books, but is fully its own animal. I love that the little blue witch is Glinda's niece.
This 8 minute cartoon was not only the first animated version of The Wizard of Oz, but also the first film version to depict Kansas as black & white and then Oz in color. I got a little bit of Logan's DNA from the sawhorses in the parade scene!
